Shocking reality
by Araanaz
Summary: Very AU... Staring Lord Voldermort as the leader of the world Ron, Ginny and Draco as young wizards in a quest for the truth and Hermione, Lavender and, of course, Harry as the beings who should never have existed. RHr HG FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

Wheeeew… That is going to be quite weird!

Title: Shocking reality 

Author: Araanaz 

Email: araanaz@hotmail.com 

Category: R/Hr (with a little H/G in it) 

Disclaimer: Me no own... 

Author's note: Very alt. universe. Okay, I'm sick and I didn't get to sleep a lot last night because of that and I just got that weird idea so if it sucks, put the blame on my headache. 

Part 1 

Hermione glanced at Lavender. She saw her smiling her support. Hermione forced herself to smile back at her best friend. She had to be strong. But the truth was she was frighten to death. She had just turned 16, the maturity age as they call it. It was her time, she knew it. Today, when they'll come, it'll be for her. She tried to ignore the constant shiver down her spine as she thought she might never see Lavender again. Her thoughts then went on someone else. 

Harry. They came for him two months ago. She hadn't seen him since then. Harry. Thinking about him sent a reassuring warm through her body. Sweet, sweet boy! He and Lavender had been everything for her since they were put apart from their mother, years ago. The two girls were so in love with him. He liked to say they were his two girlfriends. In a way, the three were a "couple"... But not in a normal way, and absolutely not in a physical way. Well, they were more like a family. The two little sisters saying they were gonna marry their big brother. Incest? No! Not with all the circumstances of their life. 

The large door of the room slowly opened, revealing two wizards in official robes. The same as usual. One had blond hair and grey eyes. He was tall and well builded. His face was expressionless, as any other of wizard. The other one was taller and even more well builded than the first. Not that Hermione ever admitted she was thinking that! He had spiky red hair and freckles covering his face. He was a really handsome young man, unfortunately he was from the bad side. Still, there was something more... human? about him. Maybe it was the way he kept shooting glances at her when he thought no one was noticing. Lavender and Harry used to tease her about it and the poor girl always blushed and changed the subject, saying it was only rubbish.

Hermione was pulled back in the reality when she heard her name being called. A third wizard had entered the room. She was tall, well, they all were. Her red hair were tightly hold back in a pony tail and she was wearing a long white robe. She looked at her clipboard before calling again. 

"File 23001, Hermione Granger? Is she here?" She asked with an icy tone. 

"I'm here." Hermione answered, taking a few steps toward them. 

"Come with us please." 

Hermione took a last glance at Lavender. The petite girl waved sadly at her. She waved back before following them. 

"Bye Lavender" She thought as she left the room she had been in for all her life. 

They walked down a long corridor, the red haired girl leading the way, the two guys closing it. Hermione felt trapped. There was no way out of there. Panic suddenly overwhelmed her and she stopped walking. She started reminding every story she was told about. 

There was a time when humans lived in peace. Wizards then came and decided to take over the earth. They wanted to kill every non-magical being. War, death, wizard triumph... And now what? Experiments. They were doing experiments on humans, muggles as they called them. Only a few humans had managed to survive the terrible war. It was said that those had somehow got the magical gene. Those were called mudblood and were not supposed to exist. Voldemort, the Great Lord of wizards wanted to know what had caused this mutation. So he tested all mudblood. And that's what they were going to do to her. 

"Oh God!" 

The red head girl heard the mudblood girl gasped and turned to see her collapsed on the ground. For a moment, her eyes filled with pity for the poor girl totally freaked out on the floor. But she quickly regained her composure. 

"Ron, do something." She said, looking at the red haired boy. 

He glanced at the blond boy beside him. This one just shrugged. Ron slowly kneeled besides her. 

"Hermione? It is your name, right? Hermione, calm down. Everything's gonna be fine." 

He put his hand on her shoulder and suddenly backed of. He looked at the other two with total horror in his eyes. 

"Ron! What is it?" The red haired girl asked, really concerned. 

"She thinks we're monsters!" 

*******

Ginny undid her hair and took her brush. She had one of those killer headache. The day had been hard. First, she had had an argument with her dad because he caught her in a forbidden area of the base, and then, this girl... The little muggle girl who had collapsed on the floor crying. Ron said he never felt so much hate coming from a muggle, hell from anyone or anything! She thought they were monsters. Ginny turned to look at her brother. He looked devastated. 

"Ron, don't torture yourself that way. It was not personal, she don't even know you." 

She tried to reassure him. 

"I don't understand Ginny. I just don't understand. Why does she hate us?" 

"Well, many muggles don't like us. You know, they think our people are responsible for everything that happened. It's not easy for them to understand we're acting for their own good." She sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

"I hope you're right." 

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking at him strait in the eyes. 

"I dunno. I can't help but have my doubts. Something's wrong, something that we don't know about." 

Ginny got up. She didn't want anything to be wrong. She had repeated the story so many times in her mind. The muggle world was disintegrating. Wizards had tried to make a contact with muggles, in attempt to help them rebuilding their world. They tried to help but the muggles freaked out, thinking they were gonna take on the earth and make slaves with them. They started a big war. A lot of people died, mostly muggles. Then, a to powerful spell was cast and every non-magical being died. It was only a mistake! So many mistakes can be make in a time of war. But then, some of the muggle-born were found to have the magical gene. Those had survived the spell, but they were really weak so the wizarding world established base were they had been taking care of the muggle-born, or mubloods, waiting for them to regain their total strength. That was the only truth she had been told about for all her life. 

Ron looked at his sister and sighed. He knew how she was feeling. Their dad told them the "truth" about their past so many times. She didn't want the only truth she knew to be all wrong. But he still had this bad feeling. If everything they were doing was on good purposes, then why muggles still hated them? And what was going on in those forbidden areas? Why couldn't they have contacts with muggles, a "friendly" race, out of the come-with-us-please they were assigned to? 

*******

The next morning Ginny was pulled out of her slumber by Ron. He had just stormed in the room. His breathing was heavy, his face red and his eyes unfocused. Ginny ran to him and took him by the shoulders. 

"Ron, calm down! It's just one of those nightmares. Everything's fine." 

He took a deep breath and calmed down a little. Ginny led him to her bed and made him sit down. 

"What was it about? Have you got some visions?" She asked him when he finally was breathing normally. 

"Yeah... There were large white tables and everything was white, it was hallucinating. Too bright. There was that girl, that muggle girl from this yesterday." 

"That's all? What did they do to her?" Ginny asked. 

"What? Who are you talking about? Virginia, don't tell me your brother is not over that! It's not like it's our fault if those stupid mudbloods cannot take the fact that we saved their ass!" That was Draco, the blond young wizard that was always working with them who had just entered Ginny's room. The girl glared at him, he was so arrogant sometimes.

"We didn't do anything, Draco, we didn't save anyone. We is the three of us, only the three of us. I have a bad feeling and good reasons to believe our people are not as good as they always told us." 

"I don't believe you. Ginny, come on, say something!" 

"Ron, what so good reasons do you have to say this." Ginny said. She was shaking, everything went so fast in her mind. 

"No reasons are good enough. They tried to kill us but we saved their ass." 

"Who are you trying to convince Draco? Me or yourself?" Ron exploded. 

"It's because of her, isn't it? Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at that mudblood, the brunette. That's why her reaction is affecting you so much." 

"Stop it!" Ginny yelled. She thought her head was going to explode. "We're not gonna fight between us, is that clear? We don't know what our people have done, for Merlin's sake, we don't even know what they're doing right now! But the three of us have to stay together, no matter what. Okay? Can you promise me that?" 

The two guys nodded and she hugged them. 

"What do we do now?" Ron asked. 

"You wanna find out the truth Ronnie? Then we're gonna find it out." Draco said, looking at his friends. 

TBC... 

Okaaaay… I really don't know what to think of this… If you like it, please let me know and I'll keep on writing. 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, the song is "Eternal Flame". I needed a song and, because I had this one playing again and again in my mind, I decided to choose it. Anyway, the song is not what is important. This is NOT a song fic. So, please review! 

Part 2 

Lavender sat in her bed. She looked around her. Next to her, in what used to be Harry's bed, was sleeping a little girl. She seemed so peaceful. She didn't know yet. She hadn't lost all her friends yet. She didn't know what it was like to be alone... Lavender turned to look at Hermione's bed. It was empty. She hardly swallowed. She was the next. 

She got out of her bed and slid her hand under the mattress. She took her diary and her quill. 

__

May 11 

I'm Lavender Brown... even if sometimes, I wish I were someone else. They took Hermione away. Now I'm all alone. It's hard, it hurts a lot. Before they came, Hermione and I talked. She joked, telling me that she was going to a big party. She whispered in my ear "don't tell anyone, but my date is a wizard!" She laughed. She's so strong. 

But we all know the truth. The truth is that Harry is probably dead at this time... And they are gonna torture Hermione 'til she is too. The truth is that, even if they had no bad purpose when they first came, now all they want is revenge! I hate them. 

Lavender closed her journal and hid it. She laid down on the bed and sighed. 

"God, I hate them!" She thought. 

*******

Meanwhile, Hermione couldn't sleep. They told her to get some rest, that she would need it, but she couldn't close her eyes. Each time she tried, horrible visions came into her mind. She sat in a corner of the white room. 

Everything was so white in there. After they made her take a long shower with that strange soap, they had given her those clothes, white clothes. 

She hated white. And she hated silence. She started singing, the only thing that could reassure her when she was... alone. She was sure her mother used to sing when she was pregnant of her. She closed her eyes and let the slow rhythm of the song penetrate her tense body. 

"Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling  
Do you feel my heart beating  
Do you understand  
Do you feel the same  
Or am I only dreaming  
Is this burning  
An eternal flame"

And she let herself drift into sleep. 

*******

Ron sat up in his bed, all in sweat. Another of his nightmares? No. The truth was he was haunted by this muggle-born girl. Everytime he closed his eyes, she was there. And now he could even hear her voice. She was singing. 

"What the bloody hell is going on?" 

I believe it's meant to be, darling  
I watch you when you are sleeping  
You belong with me   
Do you feel the same  
Or am I only dreaming  
Is this burning 

An eternal flame

*******

First and last thing Hermione saw when she woke up the morning after was a figure entering the room with something looking like a stick in his hand and little sparkles dancing around her. Then nothing. The big black out. 

She didn't saw them, didn't hear what they said, didn't notice when they carried her in another room. Next thing she knew, her head hurt. She opened her eyes and blinked at the bright light right above her. She tried to move but she couldn't. Something was restraining her. And then it hit her. She was magically petrified. Panic took over her. She tried to calm down and concentrate on what was going on around her. She heard voices, but she couldn't quite understand what they were saying. She felt someone coming near her, looking down at her. 

"She's waking up." 

******* 

Draco and Ginny entered Ron's room. He was still asleep, holding his blanket like it was the most important thing and he couldn't let it go. Draco smirked at his friend before pulling the blanket away from him. Ron nearly fell down his bed. 

"Mione!" He cried out. 

Draco and Ginny looked at each other, surprised. Ron woke up totally and looked up at them, he seemed really confused. 

"Well, seems you learned to know each other better in your dream, Ronniekins. What's with the nickname?" Draco grinned. Ron glared at him. 

"It's not what you think... Draco, you would believe me if you saw her. Something's wrong in here." 

Ginny's face turned pale. She sat on the bed next to him and looked at him. 

"What do you mean? I mean, what make you think so?" She asked, visibly anxious. 

"I had this dream.. It was quite weird." 

"Ron! You cannot deny everything we learned because of a dream!" She cried out, just wanting to forget about it all and go back to her normal life. 

"Ginny, calm down!" Draco said softly, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Ron, tell us everything about your dream." 

******* 

"Miss Granger? Are you awake?" The voice asked. "What did you do to her? She's supposed to be fully awake by now! What kind of expert are you? Miss Granger? Hermione, look at me. Get her an antidote now!" 

"Yes sir!" 

Hermione tried to open her eyes again. She wanted to see who was there, she needed to see. The voice sounded a little familiar to her. She had already heard it. But where? She needed to know. She felt them give her some kind of potion and then everything clarified around her. She blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes. She gasped. 

"Miss Granger? Can you speak?" 

Hermione looked at the man beside her. He looked so much like the blond haired wizard boy. The same face, the same hair, the same voice... But it wasn't him. This one was older, and he had this little sparkle in his eyes. She couldn't quite read his expression, but something about him was telling her not to trust him. 

"Miss Granger, I'm not here to hurt you." He said softly, seeing her eyes filled with fear. "Everything is gonna be okay if you trust me." 

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked in a cautious tone. 

"Don't worry. Be a good girl and everything's going to be fine." He answered with the same soft voice. 

"If you're not going to hurt me, then why can't I move?" She was starting to panic. She had a really bad feeling about him. He was certainly not as sweet as he wanted her to believe. But why was he acting that way? 

"We didn't know what reaction you would have when you wake up and we didn't want you to make as much disturbance as yesterday. Just be quiet and everything's..." 

"Stop saying that! I don't trust you!" She interrupt him. "Let me go! Just, please, let me go!" Sobs took over her. She was so scared and the gentle attitude of the man was just scaring her even more. 

"Shhht! Don't cry... Will you trust me more if I unpetrify you?" She slowly nodded. "But you have to promise me to stay calm. I have some questions for you." 

******* 

Lavender looked out of the door window. She had stayed there since she woke up, watching the long corridor, waiting for someone to come. She was nervous. She wanted to ask about Hermione. Nobody had ever asked questions, it was not allowed to talk to wizards unless they wanted you to. But she had to ask. 

She finally saw them, the three wizards who took Hermione away, coming down the corridor. She took a few steps backward when the door opened on them. She took a deep breath and looked a them. 

"File 23078, Lavender Brown?" Ginny asked, trying to keep her usual icy tone. 

Lavender froze. Why were they asking for her? It was not her time? She had still a whole month left! Something wasn't right. And she could feel the nervousness emanating from the three young wizards. Something was definitely not right! 

"I'm here." She answered anxiously. 

"Come with us please." 

TBC…

Hum… what do you think????????????? Please, I'm begging you to review!


	3. Chapter 3

Woohoo! I've got 2 reviews! Okay, I know that is not a lot compared to the 1968 reviews someone got but, hey, that's a start! So, thanks to my two first reviewers, that part is for you!

Part 3

Lavender followed them in silence. She was nervous. She quickly glanced back at the two wizards behind her. She met the eyes of the red haired one and he gave her a little smile. A smile! Lavender was so stunned she forgot about the situation. Wizards never smiled to muggles. They were always expressionless, almost lifeless. She was so deep in her thoughts she didn't notice the witch had stopped walking and she almost bumped into her. 

"We should check if there's someone before." The witch girl said. 

"I'm gonna verify." The blond haired one answered. 

"Draco!" The witch called him before he entered the room. "What are we gonna do if we're caught?" She asked, sounding really anxious. 

"Like we could get in that much trouble. You know who my father is." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I know but I doubt your father would agree with this…" 

Draco sighed. "Everything's gonna be fine, Gin, don't worry." Ron reassured her softly and Draco entered the room. 

Draco. His name was Draco. Lavender repeated it in her mind. She had wondered so many times about his name and now that she knew, it seemed to be so evident! The name was just perfect for him. She smiled, Draco the dragon. And then she remembered where she was and who she was with... Her smile faded away. 

Draco came out of the room and waved for them to enter. Lavender blinked in surprise as she passed the door. She was in what seemed to be a huge living room. And all around, there were about one hundred doors. 

Ginny went to one of the door, followed nearly by the one whose Lavender still didn't know the name. Draco was behind her and carefully put his hand on her shoulder. She felt a big warm surround her body. She turned around and looked at him in the eyes. They stayed there a few seconds, his gaze so intense he nearly swallowed her soul. 'What is he trying to do to me? Can he read my mind?' She wondered. 

"Come on." He said lowly. And he led her where the two others were gone. 

******* 

Hermione sat on the chair the man offered her, moving gently her members in order to get rid of the numbness. She looked at him cautiously. 

"Who are you?" She asked. 

"My name's Lucius. I'm in charge here. You already know my son, Draco. He brought you here. And the other two, with the red hair, they're Ron and Ginny, my kid's best friends." 

"What do you want from me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes, still not trusting him. 

"I told you, I want to ask you some questions. Are you willing to answer those?" 

"Do I have the choice?" 

"Not really. You have to collaborate if you don't want us to hurt you. First, what is the thing you like the most?" 

"My friends. Am I gonna see them again?" She wanted to know. 

"Who are they?" He asked while a magic quill was taking down everything she said.

"Harry Potter and Lavender Brown. I haven't seen Harry since you brought him here." She said, defiantly. 

"What do you hate the most?" He asked without answering her. 

"Being taken away from my friends and not knowing what is happening to them. Are you gonna tell me?" She wanted to take him by the collar and shake him 'til he gave her answers, but she didn't move from her seat. 

"Hermione, what is your greatest fear?" He asked, looking at her straight in the eyes. 

"You..." She let out almost inaudibly. She looked down, never seeing the smile forming on his lips. 

******* 

Ron stood in the room, looking down at the ground. He felt uncomfortable but something told him it was not only because of Lavender. He could still feel the constant shiver he had felt since he woke up and the voice was still resounding in his head. The voice from his dream. 

He sighed and turned his attention on the others in the room. Ginny was sitting on her bed, Lavender was on the chair and Draco was standing behind her. Everyone looked as anxious and uncomfortable as him. 

"So, what do we do now?" He asked. 

"Lavender, can you tell us everything you know about us?" Ginny asked softly, kneeling beside her. 

Lavender opened her mouth but nothing came out. Why would they want her to tell them? She looked into Ginny's eyes and somehow she found the strength to speak. 

"Are you gonna hurt me?" She asked quietly. 

"What?!?" The three wizards were stunned. She seemed so afraid of them. 

"Nobody wants to hurt you. Why would you think that?" Ginny spoke, standing up. 

"Well, you're wizards and I'm a mudblood. You're the one who take my friends away and torture them." She said slowly, afraid of what they would do. 

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. Ginny had sit back on her bed and Draco had backed up a bit. The way the girl spoke was telling how she was scared of them and thought they were awful monsters who tortured and killed all her friends. 

"We don't want to hurt you. We don't know what's going on here, we... we just want to find out the truth." Ron said. 

"They always told us we were helping you." Ginny said. 

"Okay, everybody calm down." Draco interfered. "We still don't know. Maybe our people were telling us the truth, maybe she's wrong." 

"What if she's right Draco?" Ginny looked him. 

Draco ran his hand through his blond hair. "We'll see." 

******* 

"Thank you Miss Granger. I'm done with my questions." Lucius said, getting up and walking to the door. 

"Come in." He said and four wizards came in. 

Hermione quickly got up. They aimed their wand at her. 

"No! Don't touch me! No! You said you were not gonna hurt me!" She cried in panic. 

"You didn't believe me, did you? Mudblood are so naive sometimes." Lucius smiled at her. 

"Psychological part is over, now comes the fun part. Hope you're not too sensitive Miss Granger. Petrify her, we're gonna begin." 

"Yes sir!" 

*******

"Okay, here's the plan." Draco said in a determinate tone. "Ginny, you and Lavender go to the archives and try to get the Granger girl's file. It's the only way to know what is happening to her. Ron and I will try to infiltrate the restricted zone." 

"But Draco, I can't bring Lavender with me! They will sense her and we could get caught!" Ginny said with worry. 

"You'll have to teach her how to keep her energies inside of her. I think maybe she can do it. That is if she's willing to learn?" He turned his gaze to her, waiting for her answer.

"I'm willing to do anything if that can help Hermione." She answered firmly. 

"Okay, lets do it then." Draco got up. 

"Draco, wait!" Ron called. "I'm not sure about this. It is risked. Do you realise what would happen if we get caught? You would only get a big lecture from your dad, but I don't know about Ginny and me, not that I really care about myself, but I don't want to put my sister in trouble. And they would probably kill Lavender." 

There was a long silence. Sure, everybody knew about this, but to hear it was hard and painful. They all stood there, anxious, for a couple of minutes. 

"I'm still willing to do it." Lavender said quietly. 

"I think we should." Ginny agreed slowly. 

"Yeah, we need to know." Draco said, turning to Ron. 

"Okay, if everybody know in what kind of hell they're getting themselves, lets just do it." Ron said, running his hand through his fiery hair. 

******* 

Hermione screamed in pain when she felt an horrible pain shot through her whole body. 

"Shhhtt! Don't scream so loud! You're hurting my ears!" Lucius said with a smile. 

"What's her degree of tolerance?" He asked to the wizard who was monitoring her. 

"She's in the 6th level, sir." The wizard answered calmly, like he was telling the score of a quidditch game. 

"Oh, interesting. I wouldn't have thought a so little creature was so strong. Lets try something harder." He ordered. 

******* 

"You've gotta remain calm, whatever happens. We'll pass by a lot of people and they'll sense it if something's wrong. You keep your head cold, clear as many thoughts as possible and look straight ahead of you." Ginny explained to Lavender. 

The girls had got a white robe for Lavender and Ginny did her hair so they looked perfectly neat. Lavender looked at her in the mirror and gasped. She looked like... a witch. But that was kind of the purpose. Ginny gave her a little reassuring smile. There was something about that human girl that made her want to put her guards down. 

"Look at me... Perfect!" She said, admiring the job she did on the petite girl. "Are you ready?" 

"I guess I have to." Lavender answered nervously. 

******* 

"I hope we're not doing this only for her." Draco mumbled as they waited for two guards to pass. 

"I want to know the truth, don't you?" Ron murmured back. 

Ron was getting irritated. He could still hear the voice in his head and now she was screaming. What was going on? He hadn't told the others about this, afraid they'll tell him what he didn't want to hear. He didn't want to believe he had a connection with this girl. It couldn't be real. After all, she was muggle-born, so that was impossible. No, it was certainly his imagination. 

"Something's wrong Ron?" Draco asked with concern. 

"No, everything's fine. They're gone, lets go." 

*******

"How is she doing?" Lucius asked. 

"Her body responds to the physical motivation but the time of recuperation is getting longer. I don't think she's gonna take it much longer, sir" The monitoring guy answered. 

"Do you want us to stop, sir?" 

"No, go on. I want to know exactly how much she can take." He said, looking at the now silent girl. 

Another spell was cast and then…

"Her body isn't responding anymore. I think she passed out, sir." 

******* 

Ginny and Lavender walked quickly down the long corridor that led to the archives. Lavender tried her best to clear up her mind, but she was incredibly nervous. She didn't want to screw everything up. She knew it was the only way to learn what was happening with Hermione, and maybe even Harry. 

"Now, stay behind me and don't say anything. We're going to enter the archives. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." Ginny said quietly. 

Lavender nodded. She followed the red haired witch to the registration office. 

"I need a few files for my superior." Ginny said in an icy tone. 

"Yes Miss. Who's with you?" The woman asked, giving Lavender a weird look. 

"She's new here. I'm her tutor." Ginny answered coldly. 

"Could you sign the registration papers please." She handed them a few papers. 

Ginny signed them and passed them to Lavender. Lavender gave her a look. What was she going to sign? It was not like she could sign her real name. But before she could do anything, the woman took the papers from her hands. 

"I only need one." 

Lavender kept in her sigh of relief and followed Ginny through the large doors. 

******* 

"What do we do now?" Ron asked. 

They just got at the crossroads of two corridors. The two boys looked at each others. They had been walking for 2 hours now and they still hadn't find anything. Offices, offices and offices... Nothing useful. 

"We should split up. Go your way and meet me in Ginny's room in 2 hours." Draco said. 

Ron nodded and Draco took off. Ron sighed and looked around him. It was so white... It reminded him of his dream. And then it hit him. There was only one way to find out if he really was linked to that girl, and for a second, he hoped so. 

******* 

"Anything new?" Lucius asked, coming in the room, pumpkin juice in hand. 

"No sir, she's still out cold. Her heartbeat is low, her breathing is regular. Everything is under control. She'll probably wake up soon." 

"Great. Get her ready for the next experiments. I want to proceed as soon as she's awake." Lucius ordered firmly. 

******* 

"Hermione? Hermione, can you hear me? If you do, please let me know." Ron tried. 

He was walking down the corridor, searching for anything useful. He heard a quiet moan and stopped walking, trying to concentrate on her. The moan became louder and louder, until it was a cry. 

"Hermione? Is that you? Please, tell me what's happening." 

Ron was starting to panic. He could feel it all, the pain, the fear, the distress... But it was not his feelings. 

"Who are you?" A low voice asked in Ron's head. 

"I'm... a friend. Where are you, Hermione? What are they doing to you?" He asked in a frantic voice. 

He was so taken in he didn't even notice what was happening to him. He didn't notice his own feelings, hers taking over all his mind. He didn't notice he was, in fact, concerned about a muggle-born. He was afraid for her. Everything he had always believe, his people being the good one and helping those stupid mudblood, disappeared in one instant. Now, all he wanted was... her, safe, by his side. But he didn't thought about those things. He only ran. 

******* 

"Sir, I think there's something wrong." The monitoring guy said, turning to look at Lucius. "She's breathing heavier and her heartbeat had quicken but she's not waking up." 

"What does that mean?" Lucius took a look at Hermione. 

"Well, I'm not sure but... I think she's having a connection." 

"WHAT?" 

******* 

"Hermione, please, keep talking to me. I want to know everything that is happening, you hear me, everything." Ron said firmly, still running. 

"I know who you are." Hermione said weakly. 

Ron almost stumbled to the ground. How could she possibly know? She didn't know him. She never heard him speak. And he, for some reasons, didn't want her to know who he was. He felt so responsible for what was happening to her. 

"I don't hate you." She said simply, answering his thoughts. 

That one sentence hit Ron so hard. She didn't hate him. Nobody ever told him so. He knew Ginny liked him, she was his family, and Draco was his friend. But to hear someone else, someone who was supposed to hate him more than life.... 

"I'm coming." He said. 

And that one sentence was gonna change everything in their world. 

TBC...

Sooooo? Is it good? Bad? Tell me, please! I demand only a few reviews… then I'll give you the next part. That is if you want me to…


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

"What do you mean: she's having a connection? That's impossible! She's a mudblood!" Lucius yelled, almost hysterically. He didn't like this at all. 

"Mudblood can have connections with our people, but it must come from one of us." 

"Are you saying there's a traitor among us who's trying to reach her?" Lucius grabbed the monitoring guy by the collar. "Tell me who! Who is it?" 

"I don't know sir, but his energy is getting stronger on her. He's coming." 

******* 

"I can't find anything. Lets go. Maybe Draco and Ron had more luck than us." Ginny said. 

"Wait!" Lavender exclaimed. 

"You found something?" Ginny almost ran to where the muggle-born girl stood, a file in her hands. 

"Oh my god! Harry..." Lavender gasped, looking with horror at the animated pictures of her best friend. 

"Come on. Lets get out of here." Ginny grabbed Lavender's arm and dragged her out. 

"Is she okay?" The woman at the registration office asked, giving them a weird look. 

"She's fine. We're late." Ginny answered coldly. 

******* 

Draco looked at his watch. The others were probably already back. He sighed. He took a last glanced around him before making his way back to Ginny's room. He truly hoped his friends would have found something useful. 

******* 

"Sir, we caught someone here without authorisation." A guard came in and said to Lucius. 

"Let me see.. Maybe we have found our man!" He answered, getting ready to meet the traitor and give him a punishment he would not forget soon. 

The guard led him to a dungeon. Lucius followed him quickly, already making his speech up in his mind. He entered the room and looked at the boy sitting on a chair, between two guards. 

"Ron! What are you doing here?" Lucius exclaimed. 

"I... huh... wanted to talk to you about something." He tried to sound sincere. 

"Look, I don't have time for this now. Something is going on here. There's a traitor among us and we need to catch him. You really should go back to you room. We'll talk later, okay son?" Lucius said, patting Ron on the shoulder and leading him out of the room. 

"Huh... Okay, if you want so." Ron replied before running away. 

Lucius sighed and got back to Hermione's room. 

"Anything new about that son of a bitch?" He asked. 

"He's gone sir." The monitoring guy answered, not quite believing it. 

"What?" 

"The connection stopped while you were gone."

"Ron!" 

******* 

Ron ran, the faster he could. He wanted to go away from this all. He almost got caught. He was so scared. So he ran away... But suddenly, he was hit by a strong power and fell to the ground. He looked around him but nothing was there to be seen. The moaning started again in his head, louder than ever. 

"Please, don't go away!" She pleaded him. "You don't know what they're doing to me. Please, don't let me here." 

"Tell me." 

******* 

Ginny was tapping furiously her fingers on her desk, but nobody else in the room noticed. They were all too deep in thoughts. She glanced at her friend. He was sitting on the bed, right next to Lavender, and his eyes were glued to the door. Lavender, on the other hand, was looking at the ground, reviewing the pictures of Harry again and again in her mind. 

"Draco! What if he had been caught?" Ginny stood up, not bearing the silence anymore. 

Right then, the door opened behind her and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. 

"Ron!" Ginny cried out, throwing her arms around him. "For Merlin's sake! I thought they had you!" 

"What happened Ron?" Draco asked, noticing the look on his friend's face. 

Ginny backed off and looked at him. He really looked like hell had just swallowed him. His hair were even more messy than normal, his eyes were unfocused and his breathing was heavy. Ginny led him to her bed and made him sit there. 

"Come here." He said in a shaky voice, looking straight at Lavender. The petite girl slowly closed the distance between them. Ron grabbed her by the arms and pulled her a few inches away from his face. "Listen to me, you need to go away from here, far away." 

"Ron, what is going on?" Draco asked, trying to pull away the scared girl, but Ron wouldn't let go. 

"If you stay here, if you let them get you, you'll be in hell, I promise. What they're doing there is no joke, it is pure torture." 

"Did you saw her?" Lavender asked quietly. 

"No, but I know everything. I know because she told me." He let go of Lavender's arms and turned to look at his friends. "I don't know how, but I'm linked to her, we have a connection. She told me everything. Hell! They're hurting her! Your father is hurting her!" Ron took his head in his hands. He seemed devastated. 

"Draco!" Ginny cried out. "What are we gonna do? He's your father... but we cannot let this happen." 

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to get her." Ron got up, suddenly strong. "Are you with me, or against me? It doesn't matter, I just want to know who is my friend and who is not." 

TBC...

Tadadadum… Cliffhanger! I like these! He he… Okay, that was short, but, oh well, if you want more you know what you've gotta do!


	5. Chapter 5

Well well well! That is interesting! I was only writing this as some kind of a test and it seems some people are actually enjoying it! Wow! Okay then, I'll continue it. I want to say thank you very very much to those who gave me reviews. That really makes me happy, you can't even imagine how much! Oh, and I almost forgot… I know there's some grammar mistakes. Sorry about that. English is not my first language. I'm still learning it. And I wrote this fic a long time ago, with other characters. That's why the plot may seem weird sometimes. Anyway, hope you like this part.

Oh, and I got a review saying that the Draco/Lavender was an interesting possibility. I was considering it, but I want to know your opinion. Should I explore it further?

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to get her." Ron got up, suddenly strong. "Are you with me, or against me? It doesn't matter, I just want to know who is my friend and who is not." 

Part 5 

Draco looked at his friends, then at Lavender. In his heart, there was no doubt... He wanted to help, he needed to help. But in his head, something was telling him it wouldn't be that easy. The enemy was his father after all! 

Ginny slowly got up and took Ron's hand giving it a little squeeze. She smiled nervously at Lavender before looking at her brother straight in the eyes. 

"I'm with you." She said firmly. "I'm not gonna let anybody get hurt..." She took a deep breath and handed some pictures to Draco. "I'm not gonna let more people get hurt the way some had already been." 

Draco looked at the pictures and his face showed his feeling of pure horror. "I'm with you too." He said in one breath. 

"And I'm not gonna let this happen to Hermione. She's my only family now..." Lavender said, holding back her tears. 

Draco took a last glance at the boy on the picture. He was pale, too pale... His hair were, well, he had no hair at all, and his head was covered of bruises and dry blood. His eyes were closed, but Draco could guess all the pain he would see in them if the poor boy could still open them... But Draco doubted he would ever again. Too much fear, pain and horror. 

"So, how do we do that?" 

******* 

"Oh, hey Miss Granger! Glad to have you back with us!" Lucius said in a fake cheering tone. 

Hermione blinked a couple of times. She was awake. She didn't want to wake up. Why did Ron let her wake up? He promised to protect her... But she was awake and she still could feel the pain and fear. 

"You can call your friend if you want! We'll be waiting for him patiently." Lucius said, smiling down at her meanly. 

Hermione's heart skipped a couple of beats. He knew about Ron! He knew... How could he possibly know? She bit her lips and held back the tears that were threatening to fall. She already had their salty taste in her mouth, mixed with the taste of her own blood. Suddenly, she felt like throwing up. 

"Do I make you sick? I sincerely hope not!" 

"I hate you..." Hermione said in a low voice. "And I swear you're gonna regret this, you're gonna pay for this." 

The wizard smiled. He slowly closed the distance between them and bent above her. "I'm sorry to disappoint you Hermione, but you're not the one in control of this situation. I am, and I'm not planning on letting anything screw my work up." 

Hermione shivered when she heard her name on his lips. It disgusted her. She looked away. Lucius sat down next to her and smiled: he really got the control. 

******* 

"I say we go there and get her out." 

"Ron! That's not that easy! My father is not stupid, he will not let you get away with her without a word!" Draco exclaimed. 

"Your father hadn't even been suspicious when he caught me in the restricted zone this morning!" 

There was a moment of silence. They had been sitting there for 30 long minutes but no idea had come out. They were all exhausted from a too intense brain work. 

"Why hadn't he suspect anything? I mean, he may know you but even Draco got grounded when he was caught there!" Ginny broke up the silence. 

"He said there was something wrong going on, something about a traitor." Ron replied. 

"If they are too busy with this, then it may be a plus for us. We need to act quickly." Draco said. 

"I think I have an idea..." Lavender said slowly. They all looked at her. 

"You could escort me there and tell them I'm the next. That way we could all go without getting them suspicious." 

"No way!" Ron replied firmly. 

"Lavender, Ron is right, there's no way we are getting you into this. This is way to dangerous." Draco said softly. For the very first time, the girl saw emotions shinning brightly in his eyes. 

"But Draco, I want to help, and I'm sure it'll work!" Lavender argued. 

"I say we don't do this!" Ron got up and looked at Draco. "If we do and they take her, it'll be more troubles and we don't need that." 

"If you are worried about me, don't! I've nothing to lose! Hermione is the only one I have left and I'm gonna do anything to get her out of there. I've already lost Harry, I'm not gonna lose Hermione! So if you have a better idea, fine, but if you don't, lets just do this and get her out of this hell!" Lavender cried out and they all looked at her, knowing there was no argument left. 

******* 

Two livid blue eyes slowly opened. They tried to focus in the bright white light. Everything was spinning so fast. It was hallucinating. The eyes closed as slowly as they had opened. 

******* 

Hermione could feel him come. She tried to tell him to stay away, but she could still feel him getting closer and closer. The door of the room opened and a guard entered. 

"Sir, the boy from this morning, he's coming." The guard said. 

"Fine! Let him come... I want him here. Don't go too far, I'll need you to take control over him. Petrify him if you have to. He's strong, you may need a little help if you know what I mean. And, tell Professor Snape I will need him." Lucius smiled excitingly. 

"Yes sir. But what do we do with your son, his girl friend and the little mudblood girl with them?" The guard asked. 

"Draco is with him? That's impossible! He would not do that to me!" He quickly regained his composure and looked straight at the guard. 

"Plans change. I still want Ron here, but I want you to lock Draco and Ginny in their room and, as for the mudblood girl, put her in a white room. Do anything you have to do, but don't hurt my son. I'll deal with him." 

"Yes sir." The guard left the room. 

*Oh my god! Ron! Please go away! And please make sure Lavender is okay!* Hermione thought. 

******* 

Ginny walked down the corridor, nearly followed by Lavender and her two brothers. They were all anxious and scared to death, but they tried their best to look professional and cold-headed... except for Lavender. 

*Ron, go away!* 

"Hermione?" Ron asked, surprised. 

They all stopped walking and looked at Ron. 

"Is she okay?" Lavender asked anxiously. 

*Ron, you have to go away! He knows everything, they're waiting for you!* 

"How? How does he know?" The panic took over the four faces. 

*I don't know how Ron, but he knows! Please go away and take Lavender with you!* 

"I'm not letting you down! I can't!" Ron replied. 

*There's no time! Just go away, please! I want you and Lavender safe!* 

Ron turned to Draco. "You three, go somewhere safe, now! They know everything." He said firmly. 

"What about you!" Ginny asked worriedly. 

"I'm getting her out of there." 

And it may come true in the next part!!!!! If you want to know, please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6 

Harry opened his eyes. He felt dizzy, but he forced himself to sit up. He was tired and his muscles responded hardly to his commands. He didn't know how long he had been passed out on this cold floor, but it sure seemed to him like an eternity. He slowly ran his hand on his head, touching it carefully. He was surprised to find hair, very short hair, but still... He had passed out with no hair. He started to examine himself: his thin arms, his shaking hands... The bruises had, for the most part, disappeared. But his whole body was still painful. 

He slowly stood up, helping himself with the wall, and tried to walk. He nearly collapsed on the floor but he didn't give up. "Strong, you have to be strong." He told himself as the memories of everything came back in his mind like a big wave of pain. 

He thought about Lavender and Hermione, his two girls, the two persons he loved the most in the whole world, his whole world. He thought about the beautiful but cruel red head, the witch girl who had obsessed him since he first saw her. He thought about Lucius... And with this thought, pain and fear, but also rage and hate filled him. 

"Just look at Lavender or Hermione and you're dead, bastard!" 

******* 

"Draco and Ginny ran away with the mudblood girl. We identified her as file 23078, Lavender Brown, sir." The guard made his report. 

"We'll take care of them later. I'm Draco's father, he can't stay away from me that long. As for the mudblood girl, there's no place to hide that we don't know about. What about Ron?" Lucius asked. 

"He's still coming." 

"Oh! I just got a great idea! I want him in a white room and get Miss Granger with him. I want the two of them together..." He turned to Hermione and smiled at her. "But I can't tell you more now, it's a surprise!" 

******* 

Ron walked down the corridor, looking straight ahead of him. He didn't know where he was going, but he could feel he was heading the right way. He could feel Hermione closer and closer. 

He didn't know why he wanted to save her so much, to protect her, to make sure she was safe. He hadn't really asked himself. But to hear her voice in his head, where no one had ever penetrated, it was enough to make him lose his balance. When he heard her sing, it pierced the wall he had built to protect his heart. And when he felt her, all her emotions, it was like a bomb on his fortress. He wondered what it would be like to touch her, to kiss her... Would the whole world explode around them? 

He started to run. Nothing could stop him from getting to her. 

"Mister Weasley? Ron?" He almost ran into the guards. They looked at him severely. 

"Come with us please." 

Ron glared at them and tried to run away, but they grabbed him and injected him something, a potion. He quickly felt his muscles relaxing and he passed out. 

******* 

"We shouldn't have let him do this! We shouldn't have, Draco! He's gonna get hurt!" Ginny cried out. 

Draco patted his friend on the shoulder in attempt to reassure her. He was cursing himself for letting Ron go, even if he hadn't had the choice. He knew Ron would never have changed his mind and they were running out of time. And he had to make sure Ginny and Lavender were safe. But still, he knew if anything happened to his friend, he would blame himself forever. 

"What do we do now?" Ginny asked, a little calmer. 

"We wait. If Ron is not back with Hermione in three hours, we'll make our move." Draco said, trying to act collected and in control. 

"Do you think he's gonna bring her back?" Lavender asked nervously. 

"If he comes back, she will be with him. I know Ron, he's not gonna give up." Draco tried to reassure her. She nodded. 

"Do you think he's gonna come back?" 

******* 

Hermione was thrown brutally into a room. She looked around. It seemed to be the exact same one she had been in earlier. Same white walls, same bright light, same emptiness... But something was different, a feeling, something warm. She turned around and nearly tripped over something on the ground. And then she saw him. 

"Ron!" She gasped, kneeling besides the body laying on the cold floor. She hesitantly touched his cheek. She felt like an electric current passing through her whole body, but nothing like what she had experimented earlier... It felt good and warm. 

Ron opened his eyes. He had felt it. He looked at her and sat up. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, suddenly backing away. "I told you not to come! I told you they were waiting for you!" 

"I couldn't let you here." He said simply. 

"Yes you could! You should have! And what about Lavender?" She cried out. 

"She's safe." 

"But you're not! They're gonna hurt you! How could you do that to me?" She started to hit him on the chest. He caught her tiny hands and looked at her in the eyes. 

"I couldn't let you here alone." He stated. 

"But... why?" She asked weakly. 

"Because... because every pain you feel, I feel it too." He answered softly, sweeping her tears away. He took her shaking body in his arms and hold her tight. 

******* 

"Isn't that cute?" Lucius' voice came out of nowhere. 

Ron and Hermione jumped away from each other, looking around. There was nothing, nothing more than the four white walls. They heard Lucius laughed and they reached for each other's hand. 

"Where are you? Are you too afraid to come and talk to us face to face?" Ron yelled at him. 

"Calm down Ron! I should be the one mad at you, you betrayed me! I always considered you as my son, but you screwed it up!" Lucius replied calmly. 

Hermione felt Ron's hand starting to shake. She looked at his face, he was pale. He seemed suddenly so scared, like a lost child. 

"Ron, don't let him get to you. He's trying to hurt you. Don't listen to him!" She squeezed his hand tighter, trying to give him some strength. 

"She's right Ron. I'm trying to hurt you. But you hurt me too. It broke my heart to see that my son would so easily let me down. It's hard for a father..." 

"Stop it!" Hermione yelled. "What the hell do you want? Why did you bring us here?" 

"Well, that's a good question and let me answer it for you. You see, as a good father, the only thing I want is what's right for my kids. Ron is like a son to me and, even if this betrayal hurt me deep inside my heart, I understand what it is to be in love for the first time. And since you two seemed to be so connected to each other, I decided to give it a chance. I'm giving you 24 hours together. After that, you'll have to choose." Lucius stated. 

"Choose what?" Hermione asked carefully. 

"Choose what your future will be. In fact, Ron is the one who has to choose. You can decide to stay with her, or you can come back to me. In either way, there are consequences. If you choose to stay with her, I'll free the two of you, but you will not be part of the family anymore and that means you'll have to spend all you life running away from the danger. I swear, Ron, the world outside is dangerous, especially for a mudblood. On the other hand, if you decide to come back to me, I'll forget everything about this betrayal and you'll be safe with Draco and Ginny by your sides." 

"But?" Ron slowly asked. 

"But I'll kill her." Lucius answered simply. "Think about it Ron. You must choose what's better for the two of you." 

"You can't make me choose that!" Ron exclaimed. 

"Yes I can. 24 hours. Have fun kids!" 

******* 

Draco, Ginny and Lavender were sitting quietly in the room, glancing at the clock one after another. No one knew what to say, so they just sat there in silence. Ginny finally got up and went to Lavender. 

"Don't worry, he'll get her out of there. I'm sure of it. Ron's strong..." She told her softly. 

Lavender nodded, a little reassured by the confident attitude of the witch girl. In fact, Ginny was not so confident, she was just used to pretend so. She was just as scared as Lavender. 

"Hum... Lavender, can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to but... Who's that boy? The one on the pictures?" Ginny asked, trying not to hurt Lavender even more by bringing it back in her mind. Lavender took a deep breath and sighed. Harry had never really left her mind. 

"It's Harry Potter. I don't know what his file number is." Lavender regretted her comment as soon as she said it. It was mean, she knew it. But Ginny was a witch and Lavender still needed to keep a distance between them. "He is... was my best friend, he was like a brother to me and Hermione. He always took care of us. He really was the sweetest guy on earth..." Lavender burst into tears with her last words. 

Ginny took her in her arms. It was the most natural move she could do. The poor girl had went through so much in the last hours. And she had been so strong. Now Ginny knew the girl needed to let it all out. 

Draco looked at the girls from across the room. He didn't want to invade their girl-bonding. He knew the two of them needed that. He took the pictures from the top of Ginny's desk and looked at them. Suddenly, a flash hit him. 

"Ginny! Could you enter his mind?" He asked. 

Ginny turned to look at him in surprise. "Who's mind? Ron?" 

"No, no, this boy's mind!" Draco said, handing her the pictures of Harry. 

"Draco... The boy is dead, why can you let him in peace. I think he suffered enough." Ginny replied, visibly hurt by her friend's request. 

"I'm not sure of it. I mean, I'm not sure he's dead." He explained. 

"Draco, please, you're freaking me out. And you're scaring Lavender too." Ginny took a few steps backward. 

"Please Ginny, just try." Draco pleaded her. 

She slowly took the pictures in her shaky hands and glanced at the poor boy on them. 

******* 

He he… Will she be able to connect with him? And what will happen to Ron and Hermione? What will Ron choose? The answers to these questions are still to come! Stay tuned…


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

"Bloody bastard!" Ron exclaimed, punching the wall. 

He was pacing the room like a lion in a cage, swearing and cursing Lucius' name. Hermione was sitting in a corner of the room, looking at him, trying to think about the best thing to do. She didn't want to die. But, on the other hand, she didn't know if she was strong enough to spend her whole life running from one danger to another. She was tired of being scared. And there was Ron! She didn't know him that much... Sure, she could hear his thoughts, but she didn't even know why and how. And what if he got tired of her and dumped her? She wouldn't survive alone. Not in this world. She needed him, she loved him... She was confused. She took a deep breath before speaking. 

"Ron, maybe it would be better if you just went back to him." She sighed. 

"There's no way I'm letting you die!" Ron snapped back before returning to his pacing. 

"Maybe it's the best thing to do! Come on, don't you see it! There's no way we'll ever be safe if we go, and that is if he really let us go." She got up and looked straight at him. 

"He promised." 

"Don't be so naive! I mean, I don't think we can really trust him. He doesn't seem to be quite the loyal type! But I'm sure if you choose him over me, he'll forgive you and you'll just have to..." 

"Let him kill you? Forget everything about you?" Ron completed for her. 

"Go on with your life." She said sadly. 

"Come on here." He said, taking her in his arms. 

"I just want you safe and happy." She said quietly. 

"I promise I'll make the right choice." 

******* 

Ginny laid down on her bed and concentrated on the boy on the picture. She had picked the least horrible one, one on which he seemed alive. 

"Harry, please, if you hear me, let me in. Please, I only want to help you." She pleaded him, tracing gently his face with her finger. 

******* 

Harry shook his head, this place was driving him insane. Now, he could hear voices! Well, only one, but still. It was a woman, she was pleading him but he couldn't quite understand what she was saying. 

"Let me in? What the hell!" He exclaimed. "There's no way I'm letting anyone in. Don't you think I don't know your little games? You hurt me enough! Get the hell out of my head!" He yelled and, with all his strength, he pushed her out. 

******* 

Ginny woke up, crying and gasping for air. She couldn't believe the strength that had pushed her out. She never experienced anything like that before. Draco took her in his arms and she sobbed on his shoulder. She could feel Lavender's tiny hand stroking her hair gently and that calmed her down. 

"What did you see?" Draco asked. 

Ginny looked at Lavender. "He's still alive." She said. "But he won't let me in." 

"He's alive?" Lavender's eyes filled with tears. She felt so many emotions at the same time. 

"What do you mean, he won't let you in?" Draco didn't understand. 

"I don't know Draco! I was getting close to him but he pushed me back!" 

"Can you try again?" 

"Draco!" Ginny pleaded. She knew she couldn't take another refusal like the first one. It was too hard. 

"I will help you." Lavender said softly. 

******* 

"Being scared all the time. Con." 

"Being together all the time. Pro." 

"Being in danger all the time. Con." 

"Being away from those who tortured you. Pro." 

Hermione sighed. They were sitting on the floor, she leaning against him, his arms wrapped around her waist, he leaning against the wall. They listed the pros and cons of the decision he had to make but it turned out he already had make his choice. 

"Being away from here, together, but you realise you don't love me that much and you're tired of me and you miss your friends. Big con." She stated. She didn't want to lose him, she didn't want to die, but she had to convince him it was the best thing to do. 

"I'm never gonna get tired of you." He replied firmly, tightening his hold on her. 

"But you're gonna miss them, don't you? Your friend, your sister, Draco and Ginny, you're gonna regret them." 

Ron didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. Of course he was going to miss them! They were his best friends, his family. They were his only reason for staying there... And Hermione was his only reason for going away. He hadn't thought about it that way until now, and it was completely destroying his logic. It was no longer the good ones against the wicked, it was Hermione against Draco and Ginny, love against friendship and family. 

"You need them Ron, you don't need me. You lived you whole life without me." She added sadly. "Lets just take advantage of the few hours we have left." 

******* 

  
"Are you tired?" Ron asked softly, his fingers playing with her brown hair. 

"Yeah, but only a little bit." She answered snuggling against him. She couldn't believe how comfortable she was in his arms. His presence felt reassuring, even if, a couple of hours ago, he was still the enemy. Everything had went so fast. Now, she just hoped this moment could last forever. 

"You can sleep if you want to." Hermione smiled at his statement. 

"No, I won't fall asleep now... I wanna be with you." She replied.

"You're with me. I'm with you..." He said, his fingers tracing the gentle line of her jaw to her neck. 

"We can... If you want to." Hermione looked at him. He smiled. 

"We could, but it wouldn't be right. If we do it, I don't want it to be here. You deserve more than this." He cupped her face and brushed his lips on hers. 

"But Ron, 'this' is all we have! This is all we'll ever have. Time is running! If we don't do it now, we'll never do it and I don't want to leave before knowing how it feels like to... be with you." She got up suddenly and told him hurriedly. She looked at him pleadingly. 

******* 

Ginny concentrated again on the picture but, this time, she felt more confident. The fact that the boy was still alive was helping her, for sure, but there was also a tiny hand holding on her arm tightly that was giving her strength. She took a deep breath and pushed herself in Harry's mind with so much intensity that the boy had no choice of letting her in. 

"Harry?" She asked when her mind connected with him. In the bounding area of their minds, they were standing right in front of each other. 

"Who are you? What do you want from me? Get the hell out of my head!" He yelled at her, holding his head in his hands. 

"No, don't push me away! I here to help you!" She could feel him trying to get rid of her. 

"Here to help? How stupid do you think I am?" He glared at her mental picture, his eyes sending so much hate. 

"Lavender is with me!" Ginny suddenly thought of it and knew she had had a great idea when she saw his face change completely. 

"Lavender? How is she doing? What is she doing with you? Please, don't hurt her!" He said in one breath. 

"I don't want to hurt her! You have to listen to me, I'll tell you everything." 

******* 

"What is taking her so long?" Lavender asked anxiously. 

"This is a good sign. He had let her in. If he hadn't, she would be back by now." Draco answered calmly. 

"He's still alive." Lavender repeated to herself. She felt so relieved. 

"Yeah, things are looking up for you. Ron should be back soon with Hermione and..." He interrupted himself when he glanced at his watch. Ron should have been back by now. Something had went wrong. 

******* 

Lucius took a sip of his pumpkin juice and put it back on the table next to him. He glared at the girl on the magical screen in front of him. He hated mudbloods, but he hated her a lot more than any other. Ron had always been a solid guy, doing was he was told to do, a little wild sometimes, but nothing to worry about. Lucius had always had the control over his kids. But now, what were they doing to him? Why? Mudbloods were certainly not worth to ruin their lives, his life. 

"You're gonna pay for that, little one. And Ron's better choose me over you because, I swear, if he doesn't, you'll learn what hell really is." He said under his breath. 

******* 

When Ginny woke up, she was welcomed by two really anxious faces. She laughed slightly at their expression, remembering how well it finally went with Harry. Lavender had been right, Harry was sweet and she knew he cared very much for his 'sisters'. He had agreed to do anything he could, danger or not, in order to get them safe. But seeing Draco and Lavender still looking at her like something awful had happened, the smile on her face quickly faded. 

"Ron?" She asked. "He should be here by now..." 

Lavender looked down at the ground, holding back the tears that were threatening to fall. Draco's eyes went from one girl to the other and he was torn between the two of them. He wanted to hold his sister in his arms, but he needed to comfort Lavender, to make her believe everything would be fine. Not knowing what to do, he just stood there, looking devastated. 

"If you can get in Harry's mind, can you do it with Ron or Hermione?" Lavender asked, hope filling her eyes. 

******* 

"Why?" Hermione cried out in exasperation. "You don't want me?" 

"Hermione! It's not that easy! Damn, I'm not used to be the responsible one!" He cursed himself for not knowing how to make her understand without hurting her. 

"So don't! Nobody's asking you to be responsible! I'm asking you to take me! I mean, every guy would do it so why don't you just do it!" She yelled at him, throwing her hands in the air. 

"I can't!" He yelled back. 

"What are you afraid of? It's not like there will be any consequences, like me getting pregnant or anything, he's gonna kill me as soon as we get out of here." 

Pregnant. The word echoed in Ron's mind. "Hermione, if you get pregnant, he's not gonna kill you, but he's gonna torture you and me and the baby. Is that what you want?" 

Hermione looked down at the ground. Ron sighed and took her in his arms. She just understood. They couldn't. 

"I'm sorry, Mione." He whispered, kissing gently the top of her head. 

"I'm just so scared." She sobbed quietly. 

"I know... I know." 

******* 

"Ron?" Ginny found herself in a big fog. She didn't see anything around but she could hear voices. "Hermione?" She walked carefully, trying to locate where the voices were coming from but she realise they were in her head. 

"Oh my god! This is so weird." She said to herself. She hadn't ever seen anything like that. She could feel Ron, but she could also feel Hermione. She had thought about the two of them before falling asleep, but she couldn't be in both of their mind. It was impossible. Still, she could feel their connection. 

"Ron! Are you there?" She called him. 

"Ginny?" 

*******

"So... What was it like, living in there?" Draco asked, trying to lighten the mood by acting casual. 

"It was hell. Hum.. Well, not exactly. It was more like the waiting room before hell, you know, like when you know something horrible is gonna happen but you cannot do anything beside sit down and wait." She spilled it out evenly, but then she looked at him and her eyes soften. "But it's not your fault. You didn't know. And I'm really grateful for your help." 

"Oh, it's not much!" He replied, shy under her gaze. 

"It is, Draco!" She said, and his name on her lips sent shivers down his spine. "It is really dangerous, even for you. You're risking your whole life, only for us." 

"More for you." He said quietly, looking at the ground. 

"What?" She asked, not quite believing her ears. 

"Don't get me wrong, I do wanna help your friends, I really do, but, above all, I do it for you." He looked into her eyes. 

"But... Why?" 

"Because... because it's you! I don't know why, but there's something about you I just can't get out of my mind. The way you smile, your beautiful eyes, your hair that seems so soft... And your lips. I just can't help wondering how they would feel like on mine, if I could kiss you." He got near her and cupped her face in his hands. 

"We can't." She said, breaking away from him but immediately regretting the warm of his touch. 

"I'm sorry." Draco murmured sadly, his eyes back on the ground. 

"No don't! Don't be sorry. Everything you said to me was beautiful, nobody ever spoke to me like that. But.. I don't know, everything is so confusing. You're still a wizard and I'm a mudblood. It wouldn't be right." She explained to him. 

"Draco!" Ginny woke up and sat straight on the bed. 

"Ginny, where are they?" Draco ran to her.

"Are they okay?" Lavender asked, following near behind Draco. 

"They are okay, for now! But we don't have much time left!" Ginny answered. 

******* 

Lucius took a last glance at the screen. Seeing one of his people, almost a member of his family, embrace a mudblood was disgusting him. And they had stayed there, holding each other, for a long time now. But their time was over. 

"Ron, you'd better make the right choice, for your own good! Little bushy head is gonna pay." He thought to himself. 

He hated mudbloods, but he hated her even more and he couldn't understand what was making his kids turn against him. He had to regain the control of the situation. That was his last thought before he left the room. 

******* 

"Ron I can't believe you're doing this. Are you insane?" Hermione yelled at him as soon as Ginny left them. 

"Hermione, I told you I'd make the right choice, I made my mind and there's no way I'm backing off." He replied calmly but firmly. 

"I cannot let you do this. What if he kills you? What if he kills us both?" 

"That's a risk I'm ready to take. You heard me well, I'm not changing my mind." He repeated. 

"Well, kid, that's a good thing you made your mind!" They heard Lucius' voice and, at the same time, doors opened and guards entered the room. 

******* 

To be continued… Now, isn't that interesting? Next part will probably be the last… Please, review!


	8. Chapter 8

Well... Finally, here's the conclusion! That means I need to do a long dedication. 

Omega: Thank you very very much for being so supportive. I appreciate that a lot.

Me: Oh my God! You are so sweet! I mean, I am so glad you like my story and I do hope you'll like the ending. And don't worry, little Harry will be just fine.

Pokey: LOL! I know Lucius is an ass. Thanks for all your good words. Reviewers like you are what makes me keep on!

Rosa: Glad to know you like the ambience! Quite different from the books, huh? 

Arcee: Thank you. I hope this ending will satisfy you.

Hermione Starise: Thanks for your support! You can't imagine how great it feels to me to know some people enjoy my work.

Bluetreeleaves: He he! I'm so glad you like the Draco and Lavender thing. You'll have more in that part… Thanks for reviewing.

Erin: Thank you so much. Your comments touch me right to the heart. 

Missi: Oh, well, I know. There are some grammar mistakes. That's because English is my second language. I speak French. But the 'Did you saw her' was still a pretty dumb mistake. Oups! Sorry! Silly me! Anyway, glad you liked it. Thanks for your kind words. 

…and everyone else who read this story and gave me feedback. I don't know if my list is complete and I'm sooo sorry if I forgot you! Thank you guys for helping me, supporting me. Thank you for inspiring me! You are all wonderful! 

Part 8

Ginny, Draco and Lavender almost ran down the corridors that were leading to a special part of the restricted area. They had agree to free Harry first before taking care of the most risked stuff: Ron, Hermione and... Lucius. They knew that, when they were going to face Draco's father, there was going to be no turning back. So that was the plan: 1. Free Harry 2. Make him and Lavender hide somewhere safe 3. Confront Lucius. Easy to say, but not so easy to do... 

Ginny walked to the registration desk and spoke to the man while Lavender and Draco stood straight behind her. She was relieved to see someone who knew her and her brother. Draco's father was extremely respected among the wizards so they usually had no problems getting through the forms. She explained quickly they needed to get one of the mudbloods to another room, under the orders of Lucius. She handed Harry's files to the wizard and he led them to the boy's room, without asking more questions. 

The three of them entered the room, quickly closing the door behind them. Harry, who had gathered himself in a corner of the room when the door had opened, ran to Lavender as soon as he saw her. They jumped in each other's arms and hugged tightly. Draco glanced at Ginny and they smiled. The two seemed so happy, like the big clouded sky above their heads had finally let them see a glimpse of sunlight. 

"What about Hermione?" Harry asked, stepping away from Lavender's embrace. 

******* 

Ron and Hermione sat on a red couch in what seemed to be a little living room. In front on them was sitting Lucius and they were surrounded by guards. There was no way to escape. Ron glared at Lucius who smiled back at him. 

"So I heard you made your choice." Lucius said, fully relaxed. 

"Yeah, and it's the right one." Ron answered in a tense voice. 

"I sure hope so, kid." Lucius smiled at him. 

"We're leaving, together." Ron stated firmly. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lucius frowned. He had expected that, but he thought Ron would be of better judgement. 

"It means what I said. I made my choice and I choose her." 

"Is that your final answer?" Lucius asked, looking at them coldly. 

Ron glanced at Hermione. "Ron, no!" She pleaded him, not wanting him to sacrifice his whole life only for her. Ron took her hand and squeezed it gently. 

"Yes, it is." He answered, looking straight at Lucius. 

"Fine." Lucius replied harshly. "I thought you would be cleverer, but if it his your decision, then I cannot do anything about it." He waved to the guards. "Take them away from my view and kill them both." 

"Bastard!" Ron yelled as the guards grabbed him and Hermione. "Don't put your bloody hands on her!" 

"Calm down, son, you have what you wanted. You'll be together, for eternity." Lucius said sarcastically. 

The guards dragged them but, before they could reach the doors, these opened on Draco and Ginny. Everyone stopped moving. Ron and Hermione gasped at their sight. And so did Lucius. 

"Draco, Ginny, what are you doing here? This is none of your business kids." He looked at them severely. 

"Yes it is, Ron is my friend." Draco replied. 

"Your friend is a traitor. He needs punishment. Stay out of this." Lucius took a step forward and so did Draco.

"Who's the traitor here? You lied to us! Everything you said, that was only shit. You told us we were good people, that we were helping out. Now that I know the truth, you're disgusting me, you all, and especially you dad." He had tears of frustration in his eyes but he stood straight and strong. 

Lucius slapped him across the face. "You are not talking to me like that." He yelled at him.

Draco stepped back, holding his swollen cheek, but then he looked back straight at his father. "This is enough. You've hurt too many people and you are not going to kill or torture anyone anymore." He said firmly. "Dad, I used to respect you. When I was a kid, I thought you were the most wonderful man on earth. But I really was naive. You are mean and cruel and, in my heart, you're not my father anymore." 

"So you think you can stand against me?" Lucius said, no more calm and in control. 

"Yes, I do." Draco replied calmly. 

Ron broke free from the guards' grip and went by Draco's side. Ginny took her brothers' hands and glared and the wizards in the room. No one was moving. 

"Do something, you stupid cowards!" Lucius yelled at the guards, but the trio was too strong and no one dared to make a move. "They are kids!" 

"Not anymore." Draco replied and he rose his wand, sending a strong wave of energy on Lucius. The wizard man went flying across the room. Draco took a glance at the still shaking body of what used to be his father and turned to the guards. 

"Take him away." He ordered them. 

******* 

The three muggle-born kids had been so happy to see each other again. The emotion had flowed, as did the tears. They cried, laughed, kissed and hugged their friends, realising how much they needed them. The wizard trio had watched them, happy for them, but still they knew the would have a hard decision to make. Stay, or leave... 

Later, they sat together in Ginny's room. They knew it was time to talk about it all. Hermione sat in between Ron's legs, leaning gently on him. She had been so amazed by all of what he did for her. Only for her. He risked his life. Ron wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her on the top of her head. She smiled, enjoying his presence, the sensation of his body so close to hers. Lavender and Harry sat beside the couple on the bed, Ginny sat at her desk and Draco stood between Lavender and Ginny. They kept quiet for a few minutes. 

"Some of us have a choice to make." Draco finally spoke and his voice broke the silence painfully. 

"Again." Hermione sighed quietly. 

"Hermione, Lavender and Harry have to go, there's no doubt about that. They cannot stay here, it is too dangerous." Draco stated, trying to remain in control of his emotions. 

"I'm going with them." Ron said. "I'm not leaving Hermione, and, anyway, this place is no longer safe for me too." 

"Ron, I can't let you go!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're my brother." 

Draco put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, like he did so many times in the last hours. "We can't keep him here, and we can't go with them." He said softly, holding on his own pain. 

"Why?" Ginny cried out. 

"We need to stay here, we can protect them better from here." He explained. "And you need to leave now." Ron nodded slowly. "We'll make sure you get out safely." Draco assured. 

"You're not a monster. You're wonderful. Thank you." Hermione hugged him, tears running down her cheeks. She turned to Ginny and the two girls hugged. 

"Take care of my brother." Ginny whispered. 

"I promise." Hermione replied. 

Harry thanked them a little awkwardly. He didn't know them much. But he was grateful for everything they did. He thanked Draco for healing him and Ginny for "invading" his mind. Ginny smiled through her tears and kissed him on the cheek. He brought his hand to his face, blushing slightly.

Lavender hugged Draco for a long time. The didn't say a word. They didn't need to, they just knew. She left Draco's arms for Ginny's and whispered a quiet thank you. 

The three of them stepped back and waited for the wizards to say goodbye. They stayed a few minutes, standing quietly, looking at each other. Finally, Ginny ran into Ron's arms, sobbing. Draco joined them and they hold on the others for a few minutes before breaking apart. 

Without any other words, those who had to leave left... while those who had to stay stayed. And, between the tears, they all found a way to smile because, they knew, hell was over, they had found a way out. 

The end! 

Feedback feedback feedback!!! Please, I need to know how that was. The whole story and the end. Did you liked it? Please, don't kill me, I know it was pretty sad… but that's the way it had to be.


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